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WIP: A Unit Testing Framework for Self-Guided Personalized Online Robotics Learning

Ponkoj Chandra Shill, David Feil-Seifer, Jiullian-Lee Vargas Ruiz, Rui Wu

TL;DR

Addresses the lack of interactive, real-time feedback in online robotics programming courses. Proposes a test-driven development framework embedded in a web-based virtual laboratory that provides predefined unit tests and immediate feedback. The approach targets reduced grading bottlenecks, improved error detection, and deeper hands-on learning in self-paced settings, with an emphasis on accessibility for community colleges. Validation plans include formative controlled studies and a full-semester evaluation comparing TDD-enabled labs to traditional workflows to assess program correctness, learning outcomes, and student autonomy.

Abstract

Our ongoing development and deployment of an online robotics education platform highlighted a gap in providing an interactive, feedback-rich learning environment essential for mastering programming concepts in robotics, which they were not getting with the traditional code-simulate-turn in workflow. Since teaching resources are limited, students would benefit from feedback in real-time to find and fix their mistakes in the programming assignments. To address these concerns, this paper will focus on creating a system for unit testing while integrating it into the course workflow. We facilitate this real-time feedback by including unit testing in the design of programming assignments so students can understand and fix their errors on their own and without the prior help of instructors/TAs serving as a bottleneck. In line with the framework's personalized student-centered approach, this method makes it easier for students to revise, and debug their programming work, encouraging hands-on learning. The course workflow updated to include unit tests will strengthen the learning environment and make it more interactive so that students can learn how to program robots in a self-guided fashion.

WIP: A Unit Testing Framework for Self-Guided Personalized Online Robotics Learning

TL;DR

Addresses the lack of interactive, real-time feedback in online robotics programming courses. Proposes a test-driven development framework embedded in a web-based virtual laboratory that provides predefined unit tests and immediate feedback. The approach targets reduced grading bottlenecks, improved error detection, and deeper hands-on learning in self-paced settings, with an emphasis on accessibility for community colleges. Validation plans include formative controlled studies and a full-semester evaluation comparing TDD-enabled labs to traditional workflows to assess program correctness, learning outcomes, and student autonomy.

Abstract

Our ongoing development and deployment of an online robotics education platform highlighted a gap in providing an interactive, feedback-rich learning environment essential for mastering programming concepts in robotics, which they were not getting with the traditional code-simulate-turn in workflow. Since teaching resources are limited, students would benefit from feedback in real-time to find and fix their mistakes in the programming assignments. To address these concerns, this paper will focus on creating a system for unit testing while integrating it into the course workflow. We facilitate this real-time feedback by including unit testing in the design of programming assignments so students can understand and fix their errors on their own and without the prior help of instructors/TAs serving as a bottleneck. In line with the framework's personalized student-centered approach, this method makes it easier for students to revise, and debug their programming work, encouraging hands-on learning. The course workflow updated to include unit tests will strengthen the learning environment and make it more interactive so that students can learn how to program robots in a self-guided fashion.
Paper Structure (9 sections, 4 figures)

This paper contains 9 sections, 4 figures.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. background
  3. Approach
  4. Virtual Laboratory
  5. Assessment
  6. Unit testing framework
  7. Feedback System
  8. Proposed Validation and Study
  9. Conclusion and Future Direction

Figures (4)

  • Figure 1: Online Learning Framework: Students can access the learning platform from anywhere. Content and assignments are hosted in a platform server, where the unit testing framework is being Implemented and students learn and do their programming assignments in the platform server as a web-based application and get feedback, grades, and progress through the platform.
  • Figure 2: Left- The Prior System Workflow; Right- Proposed Workflow incorporating Unit Testing Framework, in this system, students can test their code and get intermediate feedback, which helps them iteratively improve their robot's behavior and their programming skills prior to submitting the assignment
  • Figure 3: Prototype of the virtual laboratory interface. The virtual laboratory includes a code editor on the left, real-time simulation on the top right, and a feedback window on the bottom right. Students get intermediate feedback, grades, and real-time simulations in the same terminal.
  • Figure 4: Feedback window prototype showing test results. Students can review the details of the executed tests. The system will show the purpose, requirements and outputs of the tests. On the other hand, the system provides feedback on how the student can verify and correct potential errors.